Johannesburg, Jan. 29 (ANI): South Africa's Democratic Alliance party has denied receiving funding of four million rand from an Indian-origin family, close allies of South African President Jacob Zuma have said.

DA spokesperson Jordan Hill-Lewis said that 'the statement by [ANC Western Cape leader] Marius Fransman is a complete fabrication and a figment of Fransman's imagination'.

According to news 24, the New Age newspaper quoted Fransman earlier in the day as saying the DA received the four million Rand last week, and used the money to refurbish its offices in Cape Town.

Unsourced reports about funding for the DA surfaced on Saturday.

The Weekend Argus quoted unnamed sources as saying that Helen Zille had gone to the Gupta family's estate in Saxonwold, Johannesburg, in 2011 to ask for a donation.

The paper said that the Gupta family gave her 'substantial' cheque, which is believed to be several hundred thousand rand.

Asked for comment, Zille told the newspaper that 'the issue is not whether the Guptas have ever donated money to the DA. The issue is, if they did, whether the DA ever channelled huge amounts of public money to them in return. The answer is no.'

The Weekend Argus said comment was not immediately available from the Guptas.

On Monday, The New Age newspaper, owned by the Guptas, reported Fransman as saying Zille should come clean on who funded the DA.

Sapa approached Zille's spokesperson Cameron Arendse for comment on Monday morning, but was told Zille could not be reached for, the report added. (ANI)